Vending-machine.



PATENTBD AUG. 21, 1906.

T. G. ASPLUND. VENDING MACHINE. APPLIUATIOH I'I'LBD r5544. 1900.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lNvENToR ATTORN EY.

z I I z z I l a 1 4 1/ PATENT-ED AUG.21, 1906.

T. C. ASPLUND. VENDING MACHINE. APPLIOATIOH FILED ran. 24, 190B.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ATTORNEY.

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WITNESSES.

4P/ozemf/rows/rl UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE Specification of Letters Patent...

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed February 24, 1906. Serial No. 302.684.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. AsPLUND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein'to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of vending-machines which are coin-controlled in action, and has for its objects the ends commonly sought in machines of this character,

including compactness, simplicity, and durability; but more particularly it is sought to increase the discharging capacity with a minimum of manual effort, e ualize the delivery from a plurality of stac s, and provide a mechanism which cannot be readily deranged or unsuccessfully operated by any user unfamiliar with the same.

Other advantages will be hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

To the above ends my invention consists, essentially of the novel construction of stacks, delivery, and coin-locking mechanism hereinafter set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of a complete machine embodying my invention Fig. 2, an end elevation with a portion of the casing broken awa Fig. 3, an elevation of the 0pposite end 0 the machine; Figs. 4 and 5, sec tions on lines 1 1 and 2 2 of Fig. 1, respectively; Fig. 6, a front elevation of the machine with the front casing plate or wall removed; Fig. 7, a artial vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 6; ig. 8, an enlarged side shevation of the coin delivering and locking mechanism; Figs. 9 and 10, plan and edge elevations, respectively, of the same; Fig. 11, a section of the same on line 4 4 of Fi 8, and Figgnm, 13, and 14 detail views of t e coinif c g mechanism in various positions of aclon.

Like reference character indicate like partsthroughout the views.

The casing may be of any form of construction suitable for carr 'n the several details .oted to the wall A" adjacent the u wall A parallel with and equidistant with side walls. The floor A is inclined toward the front. Vertical uide-plates a in hori-. zontal alinement witii each other upon the walls A A, and A in conjunction with marginal flanges a upon the front margins of the wall, divide the casing into four compartments or stacks B B B B. The numer of stacks or compartments are optional and the style of construction such that a portion only of the stacks provided may be cmloyed. The packages employed also may e of any character; but for purposes of illustration sanitary napkins in the form of rolls G are shown.

Beneath the stacks with its axis, in alinement with the partitions a is mounted in the walls A and A a shaft D, rovided upon one end which'projects beyond the casing with a manually-o erative wheel or crank-handle d. U on t e opposite shaft end which rojects eyond the wall A is fixed a ratchetwheel E, having rectangular recesses e at intervals of ninety degrees from each other, intermediate which recesses are the usual inclined ratchet-teeth 6. Upon the inner face of the ratchet, near its margin, are a series of inwardly-directed pins, certain of these pins 6 being in diametrlcal alinement with the recesses e, while the remaining ins of the series e are circularly dis osed an nearer the peri hery of the rate et than are the ins e. The p1ns e are so interspaced with t e pins :2 as to permit therebetwcen somewhat less than the semicircumference of a coin. Pivper portion of the ratchet-wheel is a awl having an inwardl directed lateral lug f upon its free end, w 'ch pawl is normally pressed into contact with the ratchet by a flat curved spring G,.fixed to the wall at one end by a screw 9 and whose operative end rests in a notch g in the upper portion of the ratchet. The shaft D is provided intermediate its length with carriers H H and H H arranged in pairs, one (pair beneath the com artments B and B an another pair' beneat the compartments B and B, the number of pairs bemg increased when the number of stacks of the case is greater. In detail each carrier is a circular diskprovided with two semicircular recesses, h, diametrically opposite each other, and extending from the periphery nearly to the hub of the disk, whereby is produced two oppositely-directed segmental arms 71.. The

arms of each pair of carriers are set upon the shaft D at an angle of ninety degrees to one another.

The fianges a hereinabove mentioned in conjunction with the plates 0, serve as guides for the rolls C to the carrier. In Figs. 4 and 7 it will be observed that the lower extremity of the plates (1 are rearwardly beveled and that the flanges a are inwardly curved at the stack-bases, whence they are continued downwardly, forming semicircular guides (1 around the front of the carriers H H.

The locking mechanism is controlled by a coin, and to provide for its introduction to the described locking mechanism a coin-slot I is located in the front wall A, adjacent which is fixed to the Wall A an inclined coin-chute J, provided with an openingj in its floor, against which rests a magnet which deflects the spurious coins or slugs through the opening whence they fall upon a downwardly-inclined plate K, also fixed to the wall A, and descend through a vertical passage L along the margin of the wall A and out through an opening in the base of the machine. Below the extremity of the chute J, intermediate the latter and the ratchet-wheel E, is fixed to the wall A a vertical late M, constituting a chute having a deptli and width sufiicient to slidably fit a coin and rovided with a flanged upper portion m. eneath the ratchetwheel is a coin-receptacle N, fixed to the wall A to receive the good coins. The front plate or wall A is provided with observation-openings P,- display-frame Q, discharge-opening 1i, and lock S.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The coin is introduce into the chute J, which discharges the same into the flanged chute M, through which it passes until its lower margin rests upon one of the outer ratchet-pins e and a ainst the nose f of the awl F, as shown in of the lower end of the s allow chute M to the ratchet serves to maintain the coin in upright position. The ratchet through the shaft D and handle d is then turned b the operator in the direction of the arrow s own in Fig. 8 until the pawl rests in the opposite end of the recess a", whereupon, as shown in Fig. 12, the coin further descends and rests upon the tooth e with its upper margin resting against the pawl. The operator then reverses the direction of the handle (1, which rotates the ratchet-wheel in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 13, whereby the advancing coin raises the pawl, passes beneath the same,

and gravity falls into the coin-receptacle. N. e

anwhile the adjacent ratchet-teeth e i .8. Theproximity' slide beneath the pawl until the next recess e comes uppermost and locks the ratchet-.

wheel in original position. During the described released interval each of the carrierpairs H and H have been rotated a uarterturn by which means one of the pac ages C falls into the recesses h of one of the carrierpairs and the other carrierair discharges its package from the guide a, y which it had been sustained. Thus the carrierair alternate in discharging a package at eac quarterturn.

\Vhst if claim is E In a coin-controlled ap aratus the combination-with a chute, of a di'ive-shaft below the chute, a ratchet-wheel upon the shaft, pins upon the side of the ratchet-wheel in the vertical plane of the t huts adapted to receive the coin from the chute, said pins being in circularly-disposed sets with one row nearer the periphery than is the other and a pawl en gaging the ratchet-Wheel and ada ted to slioab y contact with the coin w en the ratchet-wheel is turned.

2. In a coin-controlled apparatus the combination with a chute, of a driveshaft below the chute, a wheel provided with marginal recesses mounted upon the shaft, ins in the face of the wheel in the vertical piiine of the chute adapted to receive the coin from the chute, some of the pins arranged radially opposite said recesses, and others interspaced therewith, and nearer the periphery of the wheel and a pawl mounted adjacent the wheel loosely seated in one of the marginal recesses of the wheel and in the path of coin, and adapted to be raised out of its seat by the advance of the coin. Y

3. In a coin-controlled apparatus the combination with a chute, of a drive-shaft below the chute, a wheel provided with interspaced marginal recesses mounted upon the shaft, pins in the face of the wheel in the vertical plane of the chute adapted to receive the coin, some of the pins arranged radially opposite said recesses,and others interspaced therewith and nearer the eriphery of the wheel, a pawl in the path of the coin and seated in one of the recesses of the wheel, and means for pressing the pawl into the successive recesses after its successive releases therefrom by the com.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS C. ASPLUND. 

